The Reality of a New Creation: Embracing the Hope and Power of the Resurrection

Summary Discover the reality of a new creation and the transformative power of the resurrection. Embrace your innate desires for joy, justice, relationships, and beauty. Leave behind brokenness and live in hope, experiencing the fullness of joy, justice, relationships, and beauty that God has designed for you. Bible Readings: Mark 12:30-31; Luke 6:27-36 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[a]31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] No other commandment is greater than these.” Love for Enemies 27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you. 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Introduction Do you sometimes feel there must be more to life than this? We sense our innate desires for joy, justice, relationships, and beauty, and how often we settle for less. I know that I am often guilty of settling for mere pleasure, dream of taking revenge against someone who has slighted me, insist on having my own way, and settle for sentiment. The resurrection power calls us to not only expect more but to embody the fullness of our deepest desires in the light of God's new world. The Reality of a New Creation To live in hope is to turn away from our brokenness and our willingness to settle, and to step into the life of resurrection that Jesus has made possible. It is to turn away from sunset and follow Christ into the sunrise, leaving behind the empty tomb of our old ways. Live in Hope Consider for a moment what areas of our life feel broken or incomplete. Where might you be settling for less? Consciously decide today to leave these behind and to step into the new life Jesus offers. Live today as someone who has been made new, who expects joy, seeks justice, pursues deep relationships, and appreciates beauty in light of the resurrection. Reflection Question What brokenness do you need to leave behind in order to fully embrace the hope and newness of life in the risen Christ? Battle Drill Daily Devotional Podcast This Week This week on the Battle Drill Daily Devotional Podcast, we focus on living our lives in the power of the resurrection. Each weekday we share hope and encouragement as we read and study the Bible together. Monday 1 April - More devotionals and resources: battledrilldevotional.com. Prefer watching? Video devotionals at video.battledrilldevotional.com.Get devotionals delivered straight to your inbox at devotional.battledrilldevotional.com.See our Battle Ready Sermons at battlereadysermons.com and sign up via email at sermons.battlereadysermons.com.YouTube (Video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRCAfiHehjUmYEPsOE8o4ZxH64ZFetd6nYouTube (Audio): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRCAfiHehjUnG3-4wfG09wAscbrX90HcPTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@battledrilldevotionalFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/battledrilldevotionalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/battledrilldevotional/Twitter: https://x.com/BattleDrillPod